PRICES FUEL CHANGES FOR SOME, NOT ALL.Byline: EUGENE TONG Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - For Canyon Country motorist Nelva Luna, keeping her BMW BMW in full Bayerische Motoren Werke AG German automaker. Founded as an aircraft engine manufacturer in 1916, the company assumed the name Bayerische Motoren Werke and became known for its high-speed motorcycles in the 1920s. sedan moving with gasoline prices at more than $3 a gallon means cutting back another kind of fuel. ``No more coffee,'' said Luna, 39, as she filled her tank Friday with medium-grade gasoline instead of premium - another compromise. ``I need to save money for gas.'' With gasoline prices at more than $3.23 a gallon on average at local stations, drivers have made slight lifestyle changes to cope with sticker shock Sticker shock is a United States term for the feeling of surprise experienced by consumers upon finding unexpectedly high prices on the price tags (stickers) of products they are considering purchasing. at the pump. Take Darrell Daniels, 51, who commutes about 80 miles a day between his home in Palmdale and work in Valencia. He has parked his GMC GMC See: Guaranteed Mortgage Certificate Sierra pickup and is driving his Chrysler PT Cruiser The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a typically American "retro"-styled station wagon or hatchback built by Chrysler, launched in 2000 as the entry-level Chrysler. The PT Cruiser was on Car and Driver's more. ``I can't drive that every day,'' he said of the pickup, which costs more than $60 to fill up, compared with $45 for his Cruiser. ``It's outrageous. More gas, more money.'' The lowest-priced regular in Santa Clarita on Friday was $3.13 at stations on San Fernando Road San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the and Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling . According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA), federation of American automobile clubs, est. 1902. AAA provides a number of benefits to its members, including emergency road service; national and international travel assistance, e.g. , the average for a gallon of regular in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area was a record-setting $3.23, compared with $2.60 a gallon a year ago. Statewide, a gallon of regular averaged $3.21. Factors such as crude trading at more than $70 a barrel, confrontation with Iran and refineries switching to summer formulation have been cited as causes for the price spike. But Daniels wasn't completely convinced. ``Doesn't the president have something to do with it?'' Still, even record gas prices can't keep some people away. Richard Benedict, 46, spent about $125 at the pump fueling his 32-foot recreation vehicle. He's preparing for an eight-day trip next week to Moab, Utah
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. . ``I can't let it bother me,'' Benedict of Canyon Country said. ``I just have to go. Just budget yourself. I only plan to spend so much.'' Benedict purchased the RV about three years ago, and he said it was worth every penny. ``I have a young son that's 10,'' he said. ``We like to fish and ride motorbikes. To me it's worth it.'' But it's not so bad for Raymond Scheideman, 68, of Northridge, who was filling up his Yamaha motorcycle for a scenic ride down Little Tujunga Canyon Road. It was $11.65 total for about 3.3 gallons. ``I feel sorry for him,'' he said, watching Benedict at the pump. ``But my biggest concern are my great-great-great-grandchildren. What are they going to do? I guess they could get motorcycles.'' Robert Houghton, 57, of Newhall has been consolidating his trips - that means no fun rides in his minivan. ``I get everything at one go,'' he said. But then, high prices are all relative for the Birmingham, England, native. ``I'm ready for sticker shock when I go visit,'' he said. ``I hear it's $8 a gallon.'' eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Richard Benedict of Canyon Country spends about $125 fueling his 32-foot recreation vehicle, but says the price of gas has not stopped his plans for an eight-day trip to Utah. Below, Raymond Scheideman of Northridge drops a (relatively) mere $11.65 in preparation for a scenic ride down Little Tujunga Canyon Road. ``I feel sorry for him,'' he said, watching Benedict at the pump. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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